You may notice it as soon as you pull out of the lot. It might happen a little bit later on. Yes, your new car is a lemon. What do you do now? It depends on the state. If it happens in Ohio, one thing you can do is look up “Ohio lemon law new car” online.

Make Sure That You’re Under the Protection Period

If you buy a new car in Ohio, you’re covered under Ohio Lemon Law if you’ve had it for 12 months and the problems have occurred during that time frame. You can also drive it for less than 18,000 miles for it to qualify. It’s time to take the next steps. 

Go to a Mechanic 

When it comes to ensuring that your car is, indeed, a lemon, you usually need to attempt to have it fixed at least once or more before it’s declared as something that can’t be repaired. Don’t act like your own mechanic. Be sure that you get all the possible documentation that you can — have the mechanic explain exactly what happened with your car, why it can’t be fixed, and that it’s not safe to be on the road with it. 

Ideally, this mechanic would also be at the car dealership. A lot of them have their own garages where customers can bring them in for things like free oil changes or inspections. If that’s the case, then things become a lot easier. If it turns out that the car dealership is balking, then it’s time to go to a lawyer who specializes in lemon laws. 

Go to a Lawyer

Most of the time, dealerships and other places will act honorably when it comes to working with you about your lemon. Unfortunately, there may be some that don’t do that. That’s when it’s time to get someone who is familiar with the laws surrounding this and will work to make sure that you get what you deserve. 

You can look online and read reviews about lawyers in your area. See what people are saying. Then you can reach out to ones that seem promising. Make sure that they listen to everything you say about your lemon, from when you got it to what any mechanic said to what the dealership or seller said. Show all the documentation. They will then determine if you have a good chance of a successful claim. 

A good lawyer will make sure your repair report has the complaint written on it. They will make sure that everything is submitted and prevent you from making mistakes that you might have made if you tried to do it yourself. Their knowledge and advocacy can help possibly push the dealership or seller to do the right thing. 

It can be extremely aggravating to get a lemon, especially when it’s a new car. If you take the above steps, though, you will be able to get yourself into a favorable situation with another new car or at least a refund of the amount that you paid for it. You will hopefully be in a better car after that and not have to go through all that again. Then life will be good for you.